Roll mounting



g 1969 M.V.'HAMILTON ETAL 3,460,551

ROLL MOUNTING I I Filed Dec. 7. 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS. MERR/LL M IVAN/L TON BY MAL/AM KLAHN Q 7. ATIQRMK Aug. 12, 1969 M. v. HAMILTON ET AL 3,460,551

ROLL MOUNTING 2 Sheets-Sheet; 2

Filed Dec. 7, 1967 INVENTORS. MERRILL 1 FAA/M 701V BY W/LL/AA/ A. MAI/IV United States Patent US. Cl. 134-122 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A mounting for a vertically movable roll where opposite sides of the roll do not move in synchronism. The roll is journaled in bearings mounted on cradles. One cradle has pivotal and translational movement and the other is pivoted to enable the ends of the roll to move unevenly without damaging the bearings.

This invention relates to an improved mounting for a vertically movable roll.

Although our invention is not thus limited, one application for which our mounting is particularly useful is for hold-down rolls in a pickling line for steel strip. In a conventional pickling line, steel strip travels continuously through a tank which contains an acid bath for dissolving oxides on the strip surface. Outside each end of the tank the strip passes over deflector rolls. Within the tank the strip passes under hold-down rolls which dip beneath the bath surface and thus submerge the strip. Whenever the line stops for any protracted period, the strip must be removed from the bath to prevent damage. The strip is removed by lifting the hold-down rolls, which are supported on fluid-pressure cylinders at each side of the tank. One difficulty is that the two cylinders do not operate in perfect synchronisrn. Consequently raising or lowering the hold-down rolls subjects their bearings to undue stresses which shorten their lives. Nevertheless it is apparent our mounting may be useful elsewhere for rolls which must move vertically.

An object of our invention is to provide an improved mounting which prevents damage to bearings as they move vertically, even though the movement on opposite sides is not synchronized.

A more specific object is to provide an improved mounting in which the bearings are carried on cradles movable relatively to their supports, whereby unsynchronized movement causes no damage.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a pickling tank whose hold-down rolls have mountings constructed in accordance with our invention;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical section on a larger scale on line 11-11 of FIGURE 1 with parts broken away; and

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the mounting from the left of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 1 shows a conventional pickling tank which contains an acid bath B approximately to the level indicated. The tank has a cover 12 to confine fumes from the bath. A continuous strip S travels through the tank. The strip passes over a deflector roll 13 outside the entry end of the tank, under hold-down rolls 14 and 15 within the tank near the entry and exit ends respectively, and over another deflector roll 16 outside the exit end. The cover 12 has slots 17 through which the necks of the hold-down rolls extend. Normally the lower portion of each hold-down roll dips beneath the bath surface to submerge the strip. The hold-down rolls are supported individually at each side of the tank on piston rods 18 which extend from fluid pressure cylinders 19 to enable the rolls to be raised and lowered. When the rolls are raised, the strip lies above the bath B. As already pointed out, the cylinders at opposite sides of the tank do not necessarily operate in synchronism.

The mountings for the two hold-down rolls 14 and 15 are similar. Likewise the structures on which we mount roll 14 at opposite sides of tank 10 are similar, except as hereinafter pointed out. Hence we describe in detail only the structure on which we mount the end of roll 14 at the side of the tank shown in FIGURE 1.

In accordance with our invention, We pivot the lower end of cylinder 19 to a base 20 on a horizontal axis transverse to the roll axis. Base 20 has upstanding end walls 21 and vertical guideways 22 formed along the inner edges of the end walls adjacent the tank (FIGURE 2). The mounting includes a carriage 23 which has a depending plate 24 slidably received in guideways 22 and a depending lug 25 pivoted to the upper end of piston rod 18 on a horizontal axis parallel the roll axis. The carriage also has upstanding end walls 26 which have elongated recesses 27 in their upper edges. Floating bushings 28 are received in recesses 27 and held in place by caps 29 fixed to the end walls 26. We pivot a cradle 30 in bushings 28. The cradle has upstanding end walls 31 and pivot pins 32 projecting from these end walls and received in bushings 28, whereby it can swing on a horizontal axis transverse to the roll axis and also move translationally in a direction parallel to the roll axis. The cradle carries a bearing 33 in which the neck of roll 14 is journaled. The structure at the other side of the tank differs in that the recess 27a is not elongated, but supports the cradle for pivotal movement on an axis which lies in a fixed vertical plane.

In operation, when we operate cylinders 19 to raise or lower the hold-down roll 14, the pivotal connections between the cylinders and bases 20, and between the piston rods 18 and carriages 23, enable the carriages to move in their guideways 22 without binding. Normally the floating bushings 28 occupy a mid-position in the recesses 27. If the carriage 23 at one side of tank 10 moves ahead of the other, the floating bushing moves translationally along the recess, while the cradles 30 at both sides swing about their pivotal axes. Thus there are no unusual stresses placed on either bearing.

From the foregoing description it is seen that our invention affords .a simple mounting construction for a vertically movable roll to prevent damages to bearings when opposite sides of the roll do not move in synchronism. While the mounting is particularly useful in the environment illustrated, it has general utility wherever a similar problem is encountered.

While we have shown and described only a single embodiment of our invention, it is apparent that modifications may arise. Therefore, We do not wish to be limited to the disclosure set forth but only by the scope of the appended claim.

We claim:

1. The combination, with a roll, bearings in which opposite sides of said roll are journaled, and fluid pressure means indiivdually supporting said bearings for vertical movement, of means mounting said bearings on said fluid pressure means, said mounting means comprising respective carriages connected to said fluid pressure means at each side of said roll, a first cradle supported on one of said carriages for pivotal movement on an axis transverse to the roll axis and translational movement in a direction parallel with the roll axis, and a second cradle supported on the other of said carriages for pivotal movement on an axis transverse to the roll axis, said bearings being carried on said cradles, whereby said bearings are free of undue stresses when said fluid pressure means fail to operate in synchronism.

2. A combination as defined in claim 1 in which the carriage supporting said first cradle has upstanding end walls and elongated recesses in the upper edges of said Walls, said mounting further comprising floating =bushings received in said recesses, caps fixed to said walls holding said bushings in said recesses, and pivot pins on said first cradle received in said bushings.

3. A combination as defined in claim 1 in which said fluid pressure means includes a pair of cylinders pivoted at their lower ends on axes transverse to the roll axis, and respective piston rods extending from said cylinders and pivoted to the undersides of said carriages on axes parallel with the roll axis.

4. A combination as defined in claim 3 further comprising bases to which said cylinders are pivoted, said bases having upstanding end walls and guideways on said last-named walls, said carriages having depending plates slidably received in said guideways.

5. A combination as defined in claim 1 in which said roll is a hold-down roll for steel strip traveling through a pickling solution.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,432,832 10/1922 Brockett 226-194 XR 2,900,992 8/1959 Johnson 134-122 2,981,453 4/1961 Kinzelman 226-194 XR 3,291,468 12/1966 Albertsen et al. 134-122 XR ROBERT L. BLEUTGE, Primary Examiner US. "Cl. X.R. 

